2011 News Archives

December 2011 - December 4, 2011 - Dixie Region SCCA held the 24th Annual Allies vs. Axis Solo Autocross at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, Georgia. Allies vs. Axis commemorates Pearl Harbor Day with a Solo event on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the December 7, 1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces, the event that led to American participation in WWII. This event is a team autocross, with American and British ("Allies") vehicles competing against Japanese and German ("Axis") cars. No French cars ever seem to show up, sort of like in real life, and the Italian cars are Axis before lunch and Allies in the afternoon.

In the chill of the early morning, the Axis team made their ceremonial first run around the course at precisely 7:53 AM, the time the first bombs fell on Pearl Harbor. The Axis team quartet included Chris "Cheerio" Casey, Marko "Bubi" Horn, Jim "Pirate Ship" Bledsoe, and Stephen "Ugly Mazda" Tillman. The Axis team, with Japanese and German flags flying took out some cones. In the process Bubi damaged his bumper cover and wheel well liner but he wasn't fazed and soldiered on toward the finish. This year another long-standing tradition was upheld as awaiting them at the finish was none other than "Wing Commander Nigel Shiftright (RAF)" and Timmi "Pride of Ireland" Atteberry with a pair of full moon salutes to the four Axis hooligans. Well, Timmi's full moon was a bit smaller than Nigel's, but he gave it all he had.

The odds were stacked against the Allies with 50 Axis entries versus only 32 in the Allied camp for this 24th running of the event. The Axis powers held an edge right out of the box with 11 uncontested classes, but the Allies had spread themselves into a "Thin Red Line" by bumping cars into higher classes to level the playing field against the numerically superior Axis team. A 24th straight win was at stake for the Allies, and sacrifices had to be made.

When the dust and tire smoke settled the Axis finished the day with 14 class wins:

The Allied team proceeded to shock and awe the Axis by coming from behind and then they "dropped the big one" by way of a very small package named Ryan and took 23 class wins overall. Allied class winners were:

Repeating the story of WWII, against all odds the Allies came through victorious again. For the 24th year in a row, history has been upheld; the Allies prevailed and took 23 class wins against the Axis 14.

As is often the case in war-time, there were unlikely heroes that helped turn the tide for the forces of Goodness and Light. One unsung hero of the Allied win was a car, not a person. A Ford Mustang, not a GT, not a ground-shaking V8 Shelby or a supercharged Roush special, but a bottom-of-the-line V6/automatic Mustang, a “secretary’s car” of a Mustang came through in time of peril and presented the Allies with three wins in three different classes. Another hero was Dixie Region’s own Alyssa Lewis, who won H Stock in a Ford Focus, after recently moving up from the Jr. Kart program. Alyssa recently turned 15 years old, earned her learners driving permit, and thus had to have a co-pilot on all her time runs. Later in the event, Alyssa took a few fun runs in the V6 Mustang, and her smile illuminated the field. That was a great moment particularly when she stated, “That thing REALLY goes!”.

In addition to class win trophies, the "Crappiest Run Golden Toilet Seat” award is given to the driver who, well, has the crappiest run. This is a "people's choice" award, with all entrants asked to vote early and often for their favorite crappy driver. This year the ballots were stuffed for an overwhelming win for driver Robert “Fireball” Lewis. Surprisingly, the win was not so much for the crappiest run but due to a clever conspiracy by Axis-sympathizer Sara Hosig. Sara, a woman scorned, received a crème pie in the face, part of a fake birthday surprise during dinner the night before. Sara got her revenge on Robert by enlisting friends to stuff over 70 ballots for Robert, a legal maneuver in this highly esteemed and yet totally corrupt Allies vs. Axis award.

Two new awards were added this year for best decorated Allied and Axis cars. The Axis win went to a German decorated 2004 BMW Z4 owned by Ray Brake. His Iron Cross and German flag motif out-shone Wilson Richardson’s “Blue Painters Tape Iron Cross Done at the Last Moment” design. The Allied award went to the P-51 1990 Mustang of Rob Ippolito, edging out Sandy Heath’s P40 Warhawk and Chris Moore’s TR6. (The TR6 wasn’t decorated, but it sure SOUNDS like a fighter plane!). Both winners received $15 gift certificates to Auto Zone. An honorable mention has to go to the Japanese battle flag headbands from the Tally Imports gang and the CJ Jeep of the Murphy/McMahan team. The Jeep wasn’t decorated in WWII fashion, but it was a Jeep, for gosh-sakes!

And as always part of Allies vs. Axis, Dixie Region collects toilet paper and cash donations for the Leon County Shelter for the homeless. Like previous years, this part of the event was a great success, with plenty of donations for the Shelter given by the entrants. We want to thank all that contributed, and this is a part of the Allies vs. Axis event that both sides can take pride in.

The biggest (and smallest) hero of the day was a young man named Ryan Rackley. Ryan, at age 6, was the youngest driver on the field and was reported to be the youngest driver in SCCA Solo at the time of the event. Ryan drove his first ever autocross and won Jr. Kart C. It went in the record books as a win for the Allies, but it was a win for Ryan and his family (Dad Darren won FP), and for our extended (if somewhat dysfunctional) Dixie Region family as a whole. It was one of the best moments in a day full of great moments.

(Author: Rob Ippolito, Bad Jokes: JD Kemp)

24th Annual Allies vs. Axis: December 4, 2011 – History in the Making!

December 2011 - Be part of history in the making. In memoriam of Pearl Harbor Day, the start of America entering World War II in December 1941, the Dixie Region Sports Car Club of America presents the 24th Annual Allies vs. Axis Solo on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, GA.

What started as the Solo final season event back in December 1986 as a way to increase entrant participation, the brainchild of Allied Commander J.K. Jackson, has grown to become the anticipated annual Solo finale of the Southeast. Mastermind Jackson was compelled to increase entries at the 1986 December Solo finals but he needed a gimmick to grab attention. It came to him when rappers RUN DMC called for a day of peace among LA street gangs. Jackson figured more competitors would come to be part of a gang, a team, so to speak. In 1986 Pearl Harbor Day fell on the same day as the final Solo event so JK decided a worthy theme was the Allies vs. Axis Solo. His plan worked and event participation doubled.

Drivers run in their normal Solo classes but also tabulate each overall class win toward the Allies or the Axis side. This unique event challenges the American and British vehicle driver team (Allies) against the Japanese and German (Axis). The side with the most class wins is declared the overall winner and retains bragging rights the following year. Allies vs. Axis begins at precisely 7:53 am, the same time the Japanese dropped the first bomb on Pearl Harbor, where the first Japanese car "wave of attack" is underway. Over the years more drivers decorated their cars as P-51 Mustangs, Zeros and Messerschmitt fighter planes. In the pits and grid, flags fly supporting vehicle's country of origin. Class wins became known as a "kill" and according to JK, "A few years ago when the Allies won we staged a mock ceremony where the top Japanese drivers were asked to sign a Declaration of Surrender while the Allies presided wearing USS Missouri caps, which was the U.S. ship on which the Japanese signed the surrender in 1945 while moored in Tokyo Bay."

Allies vs. Axis has evolved over time. In its second year, when Italian vehicles showed up and neither team knew what to do with them, it was decided just as it was during WWII the Italian vehicles would spend the first half of the war, or in this case the event, with the Axis and the latter half with the Allies. French could run with the Axis or the Free French Allies. Swedish vehicles were of course neutral. Many of the participants decorate their cars in WWII fighter plane insignia, display kill flags on their doors, and compete for special trophies, awards and prizes.

This is the one Solo event you don't want to miss. Allies vs. Axis 2011 - History in the making!

* Make your vote count at the event - Awards for the Crappiest Run, Best Decorated Axis car, and the Best Decorated Allies car. Speed Freaks Saturday drag race grudge match. A new feature at AvsA! Show up a day early on Saturday Dec 3rd for the Allies vs. Axis drag race grudge match at South Georgia Motorsports Park

*3rd Annual "Wipe Up The Competition" at Allies vs. Axis! Please help us by donating the most requested and needed item for the Tallahassee-Leon Shelter in serving the homeless. The number one donation needed by The Shelter is of all things, toilet paper. They use 48 rolls of toilet paper a day, over 1400 per month. The Dixie Region SCCA goal is to donate a month's supply of toilet paper to The Shelter. Please bring a package of toilet paper on the day of the Allies vs. Axis event. If you can't bring toilet paper, we will accept donations of $10 and we will purchase the toilet paper for you. If every entrant donates a 24-roll package of toilet paper, we will exceed our month supply donation goal. Please be a part of the Dixie Region supporting The Shelter.

* Allies vs. Axis T-Shirts and Trophy Plaque Design is COMING SOON. T-Shirts will be for sale at the event.

Solo Course Design Clinic - June 25th

June 2011 - Have you been interested in being the event chairperson at a Solo event but don't have a clue how to design a course. Well you're in luck. Dixie Region will be holding a free course design clinic on Saturday June 25th at 10 AM, the day before the June 26th Solo Event # 5 at Spence Field in Moultrie, GA. If you plan to attend, please RSVP with Mike Lollar by leaving him a voicemail at 850-459-5159.

2011 SCCA National Championship

September 2011 - Four local drivers brought home trophies from the Sports Car Club of America Tire Rack Solo National Championships, held in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Diane Austin won a national championship in D Modified Ladies, in a 1960 Austin Mini. Also a national champion in 2009, she won by a total of 11.95 seconds over two days, a huge margin in solo racing. Driving the same car, her husband, Tom Austin, finished fifth in the open division of D Modified.

In C Prepared, Robert Lewis earned a third-place trophy in his 1965 Ford Mustang, only 1.11 seconds out of first place, while his wife, Tracy, finished second in C Prepared Ladies.

The solo championships involve cars in different classes, with drivers competing against the clock. All four drive in the Dixie Region of the SCCA.

Dixie Region Hosts SEDIV Championship Scorcher at Moultrie

July 2011 - The SEDIV Championship Event was held July 29th, 30th and the 31st, 2011 at Spence Field in Moultrie, GA. Though the weather was a hot scorcher, 70 entrants from all over the southeast decended on Spence Field for a full weekend of Test and Tune on Friday, and two different courses on Saturday and Sunday. There are a lot of comments and pictures posted on the Dixie FaceBook page.

The Road to Lincoln Starts at the Dixie National Tour - March 11 - 13, 2011

March 2011 - The Tire Rack® SCCA Solo National Tour Road to Lincoln takes National Solo on the road to various locations around the country but starts at the Dixie National Tour at South Georgia Motorsports Park in Adel, GA on March 11 - 13, 2011. Over 300 competitors are expected to participate in an event presented in a format similar to that found at the Lincoln, NE Championship in September. The Evolution Performance Driving School is the official driving school of SCCA Solo program and will again be hosting the EVO Advantage program at Dixie on March 11th. Pre-registration is required through the Evolution website. Registration for the Dixie National Tour is listed on the Dixie Event Schedule Page.

SEDiv Awards Banquet at Jekyll Island, GA

February 2011 - The SCCA Southeast Division held it's 2010 annual awards banquet at JekyllIsland, GA. The banquet is a weekend long celebration that includes workshops and presentations from the SCCA national office staff. Several Dixie members received awards including Ken Owens-EP champion, Harold Knoble-SPU Champion, Robert Lewis-CP Champion (pictured right with SCCA VP, Howard Duncan).

Chris Moore (pictured left) was inducted into the SEDiv Hall of Fame which requires 5 championships and two Time Trial or Hill Climb track records. Congratulations to our new champions.

2010 Solo Class Champions Announced
at Dixie Annual Awards Banquet

January 2011 - Class Champions for the 2010 Dixie Solo season were announced at the January 15th awards banquet. Top honor of 2010 Driver of the Year goes to Bryan Batchelor (pictured below left) for winning the most points during the 2010 season several E Prepared vehicles.

The Member of the Year was awarded to James Bell (pictured above right) for his dedication and tremendous volunteer work for the club including the Solo Safety Steward, Tech and director on the board.

The Worker of the Year went to Bryan Batchelor (pictured at right with Mike Lollar, RE) for his efforts as Solo Chief and as a director on the board.

There were plenty of now infamous gag awards handed out as well including a first ever tie for Cone King to Russ Clark and Cone Queen Tracy Lewis.

Street Tire PAX Class Created

January 2011 - The Dixie membership voted to create a new Street Tire PAX class to the mix to encourage new participants and novice retention. The Dixie Regional Street Tire PAX Class allows cars running on DOT legal street tires having a minimum UTQG treadwear rating of 140. All SCCA rule classes are allowed. Entrants will display a "T" on their car after their class. The most current PAX/RTP index will be used to determine the class finish order results. Join the Street Tire PAX discussion on the Forum.

Annual Awards Banquet - January 15, 2011

January 2011 - It's that time again for the Annual Dixie Region Awards Banquet. Dinner and awards for the 2010 Dixie Region Solo Championship Series class winners, member of the year, driver of the year, worker of the year, cone king, and of course special gag awards, too.

Saturday, January 15, 2011 from 6:30 pm - Midnight at Sittig Hall in Kleman Plaza. Dixie will provide the main dish meat and non-alcoholic beverages. Please bring your favorite side dish, salad, or desert to share. It is a BYOB affair. Directions to Sittig Hall posted on the Dixie Forum. More details and RSVP information to follow.

SEDIV Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet
to be held January 21-23

The Southeast Division Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet will be held January 21-23, 2011 at the Oceanside Inn & Suites, located on Jekyll Island, GA.